Kyiv inks mineral deal with US

The United States and Ukraine Wednesday signed a minerals deal following a two-month delay, in what US President Donald Trump's administration described as a new form of American commitment to Kyiv following the end of military aid.

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Ukraine said it had secured key interests after protracted negotiations, including full sovereignty over its own rare earths — vital for new technologies and largely untapped.

Mr Trump had initially demanded rights to Ukraine's mineral wealth as compensation for US weapons sent under former president Joe Biden, after Russia invaded just over three years ago.

After initial hesitation, Ukraine accepted the minerals accord as a way to secure long-term investment from the United States, as Mr Trump seeks to drastically scale back US security commitments around the world.

Announcing the deal in Washington, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said it demonstrated “both sides’ commitment to lasting peace and prosperity in Ukraine”.